


Family Matters

by lala113



Series: Disabled Little [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Abandonment Issues, Cerebral Palsy, Cribs, Diapers, Disability, Flashbacks, Gen, Infantilism, Involluntary Regression, Mental Regression, Nightmares, Online Classes, Passed Physical Abuse, Running Away, Sick; Timmy, Speech Therapy school, Stuffed Toys, Timmy needs bottles, Touch-Starved, passed emotional abuse, personal care, speech difficulties, story time
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-23
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-07-15 20:12:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16070456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lala113/pseuds/lala113
Summary: The sequel to Acceptance. A year has gone by since Zachary met his best friend, now girlfriend, Lisa Raymond. He couldn't be happier. But what happens when he gets an email from Jessica, his younger sister? Will Zachary's past come back to haunt him or will he seak help right away?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome everyone to the sequel. I know this one is short, but I promise it will get mor exciting.

Chapter 1:

Exactly one year had passed since Zachary Babinski rescued his best friend, Lisa Raymond from the dorms at the Florida State University, and he couldn’t be happier. Well, he was not happy that she had been bullied and teased to the point of neglect, but it didn’t matter now anyway. At 23, Zachary was halfway through his masters program for speech language pathology. Switching his major had been the best decision he ever made apart from rescuing his best friend, now girlfriend, and even more recently, his little cousin, Timothy Franklin.

Even though he was almost 11 years old, Timmy did not look it. He was very thin; painfully so and he was more skittish than a horse. Whatever happened to him in the former Babinski household had not been good because he had the scars to prove it. However, although some of the scars were physical, many of them were emotional and psychological, which was why the almost 11-year-old had not come out of his regression just yet.

Timothy Franklin, because of the trauma he suffered, had a condition called involuntary regression, and an acute form of it at that. So for right now, he functioned much like a real infant, needing one-on-one care 24 7. He still couldn’t talk to anyone and was unaware of certain things around him, but much like a real infant, Timmy always paid attention to the tone of voice anyone ever used with him. This was because he was so far into his regression that any angry tone, Timmy would find disturbing and frightening. This was completely understandable, so Zachary tried his very best to keep his tone gentle and soothing when ever it was possible for him to do so.

Lisa also tried her best to help when ever she could and was able to. It was harder for her because of her cerebral palsy, but Zachary appreciated it all the same. As for Lisa, after a few months of taking a break from school, decided to take some online courses to keep herself busy. Because of the trauma she suffered, Lisa had no desire to set foot on campus ever again, and Zachary didn’t blame her. But so far, Lisa’s favorite thing to do was to play with Timmy because he was so innocent and carefree. Although she was not able to completely care for him, she still loved hanging out with him and rolling a ball back-and-forth with him. She knew it was childish, but Lisa didn’t care. All she wanted was for the 3 of them to be happy.

After taking his cousin home from the hospital last spring, he found several emails from his younger sister, Jessica. Zachary didn’t know whether to be angry or happy to hear from her, but he decided to read them anyway. No matter how his siblings treated him, he still loved them and he felt that they deserved a chance to explain themselves.

Message: Zach, I know you might be angry, and I don’t blame you, but please hear me out before you start yelling at me. Andy, Rosie and I, we couldn’t take it anymore. We… We ran away from home. I don’t expect you to house us and I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to slam the door in our faces. How we treated you was wrong and I am very sorry for it. We really are grateful that you raised us and took care of us when Mom and Dad were going crazy. They still are that way and it’s getting worse. That’s why we ran away. I can’t tell you where we are in case anyone finds us, but I just wanted you to know that we love you and that we are very sorry for hurting you the way we did. I hope you are happy and safe and… Oh Zach… Just know and understand that we are truly sorry and that we love you so, so much.

Love,

Jessica  
PS. Is Timmy safe?

For a few moments, Zachary toyed with the idea of not replying to his younger sister’s email, just to show her what it felt like to be ignored and pushed aside, but when she asked about their little cousin, his heart melted instantly. After all, reading between the lines of her email, Zachary certainly understood the loneliness and fear his younger siblings were facing, even if it was hard for him to face his past, even seeing them right now. But if there was one thing Zachary was not, it was heartless. Sure, being ignored for a long time by his own siblings took its toll, but the more he thought about it, Zachary realized that it wasn’t by choice. So, after proofreading one of his papers and sending it via blackboard to his communications professor, Zachary replied to his younger sister’s email.

Message: oh, Jessica, I must admit, I thought about not answering you, but after thinking about it, I realized that it would be cruel not to. So, to answer your question, yes, Timmy is safe. He has been living with me and my girlfriend Lisa for about 9 months now. He still hasn’t come out of regression yet, though and I am very worried about this. Anyway, I know you can’t tell me where you are, but please be safe. You are right, it might be hard for me to see you right now, but I want you to know that I do love you very much and if you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to call me. I know that you ignoring me was not your own doing, so that’s why I am answering you. I am truly sorry I wasn’t there when things got worse, but you will always have me. Tell Andy and Rosie I love them with all my heart and I would love nothing more than to take care of you. I just don’t know if we have the room right now. You asked if I was happy? Well, I switched majors, so that should help. Please stay safe and call me if you need anything.

Love from your brother,

Zach

After clicking send and shutting down his laptop, Zachary sighed heavily and sank into the armchair closest to the TV. “Oh my poor siblings,” he thought to himself. “Please, please be safe.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The young adults open up to each other more and Lisa tries to distract Timmy.

Chapter 2:

As Zachary sat slumped in the armchair, with his head in his hands, he wasn’t completely aware that anyone was next to him until he felt a gentle and feeble squeeze on his hand. Zachary jumped about a foot in the air; startled, until he focused on the fact that Lisa was sitting on the floor and was unable to get up and hug him the way she wanted to. “Lisa, I’m okay,” Zachary said gently. “Where’s Timmy? Did he wake up yet?”

Before Lisa could answer, the 10-year-old’s infantile cries penetrated through the baby monitor Zachary bought only a few short weeks ago. Zachary didn’t really like to use things like that, but in cases such as his cousin’s, it was absolutely necessary and essential, especially when things were really bad. However, that was the only time he used it. He didn’t even use it with Lisa when she was regressed, but that was mainly because her crib was only a few feet away from his bed and he could see if she was awake or not. But since Timmy was not able to talk just yet, and was a little further away, the baby monitor was needed.

Taking Lisa with him, Zachary took the stairs as fast as he could without hurting her and when he arrived at her old bedroom, the smell hit him square in the face. “Uhg!” He thought to himself. “What am I going to do with you?”

Seemingly unaware of his surroundings, Timmy continued to cry as his older cousin gently lifted him out of the crib and carried him over to his changing table. Hoping to be helpful, Lisa sort of knelt on one side of him and made funny faces in order to distract him. As she was unable to do what Zachary was doing, she thought it would help the little boy to be somewhat distracted when Zach was changing him. It usually always helped Lisa to have either small conversations or a stuffed animal, but since Timmy could not really talk right now, this was the least she could do.

However, Zachary seemed to have no problem talking to him at all. He did his best to reassure the little boy that he would not be harmed and that everything was okay, but the poor thing still didn’t seem to know or understand where he was and cried harder. The situation was made worse when Timmy flinched unintentionally when Zachary attempted to give him his medicine. As he was unable to swallow just yet, Zachary had no choice but to give his cousin his medicine through a suppository, which was not pleasant to say the least.

The little boy screamed and cried the entire time as though he was frightened. The young adults didn’t blame him of course, but Zachary was very worried about the reaction he was getting when trying to give his little cousin the medicine he needed to help him gain weight and feel better. “Did I miss something?” He thought to himself. “Is there more trauma than I realized? Did something else happen to Timmy that the doctors and nurses neglected to tell me? If he ever comes out of it, will he be able to tell me himself?”

“I know you don’t like this, baby boy, but I have no choice,” Zachary told him gently. “I won’t let anything happen to you. You are safe; no one is going to hurt you here. We are almost done, kiddo. I know it’s yucky and painful, but it will make you feel better, I hope.” After lathering his cousin with cream and taping up his new diaper, Zachary picked him up and hugged him close. “See?” He said softly. “All done. Come on baby boy, let’s go for a little walk in your stroller; shall we?” And then to Lisa, said, “You want to come with us? Maybe the fresh air will help.”

Lisa’s face lit up like a Christmas tree as she limped after them. Zachary could be very fast if he wanted to be and Lisa was finding it difficult to keep up with him. Seeming to realize this, Zachary doubled back and grabbed her arm before she fell over.

“Sorry, kiddo; I got caught up in the moment and forgot about the fact that you can’t walk as fast.”

It took a while, but the 3 of them arrived at the small park, where Lisa immediately collapsed on a bench, exhausted. It was unusually warm, even by Florida’s standards, so it took her more time and effort to get from place to place, but she didn’t mind. Realizing this, Zachary stopped and parked the stroller so he could sit next to her. Lisa’s face looked rather flushed, but Zachary knew that she was not sick, only tired and needed to catch her breath. Lisa was even too tired to speak, so she gestured for Zachary to hand her her water bottle, which he gladly did.

Like her cup at home, Lisa’s water bottle was rubberized, making it easier for her to hold onto and there was a straw attached, which made it nice because she wouldn’t lose it. She took a few sips as her body began to relax. The warmth of the sun and the smell of the freshly mown grass was very calming and pleasant. Lisa loved this time of day because it helped her to relax and it was just nice to get out of the house for a while. There was even one time when a parrot’s call startled her a bit, but after living in Florida for almost 2 years now, Lisa was starting to get use to the sights and sounds of the tropical wildlife.

The 3 of them stayed by the bench for about 15 minutes more so that Lisa could finish her water, but then they moved on to one of the paved trails. As they were walking, Lisa noticed the very worried look on Zachary’s face and asked him about it. Or, tried to anyway.

With a heavy sigh, Zachary answered her question. “Honey, I just have a lot on my mind right now, and I’m sorry if I seem a little distant. I got an email from my younger sister, Jessica and I’m not really sure where she is or if she’s all right. She told me that she, Andy and Rosie ran away from our house, but that’s it. I’m a little angry with them, but I know I shouldn’t be. It’s just really complicated.”

“Why?” Lisa asked in her slow, halting speech. “Why… Are you… Angry?”

“Well, I’m not; not really,” Zachary answered gently. “I’m a little angry that they ignored me for so long, but at the same time, I can’t really blame them. You have to remember, my parents weren’t exactly great parents either. We might have different family and different experiences, but you and I are a lot alike that way. Did you ever have brothers and sisters growing up?”

Lisa smiled and took out her sheet of paper. “No; I was an only child,” she wrote. “However, before my parents moved me away, I had a couple of high school friends who would try to help me as much as they could.”

“Where were you from originally?” Zachary hadn’t meant to ask, especially as it might be painful, but it just occurred to him that he had really never known where Lisa originally came from or grew up, so he was genuinely curious. Besides, it was so easy to talk to her and have fun with her that Zachary never thought about anything except getting to know her better.

“Well, I was from Wisconsin originally, but it’s too darn cold there in the wintertime. I like it better here. My muscles don’t hurt as much and I can be outside as much as I want without worrying about ice and snow even in the winter. Moving me here was probably the kindest thing my parents have ever done for me,” Lisa confessed. “It was probably the only kind thing they’ve ever done. That is the only thing they understood about my disability.”

Zachary smiled and said, “I hate to say it, but I’m kind of glad they made or let you move here. I know I say this all the time, but it is the truth when I say it. I am glad I met you because you have made me a better person and you’ve opened my eyes to all kinds of possibilities. Did I ever tell you the reason why I switched my major?”

“No,” Lisa wrote. “Why?”

“Well, after becoming friends with you and helping you with many of the things you struggle with, it made me realize that working with people like you or stroke victims or anyone who has lost their speech just called to me. I found it fascinating that something so vital was often the hardest thing to get back and I wanted to help them do that. Besides, business and finance was not something I was interested in at all. I found it boring, in fact. I want to be a speech therapist because I feel I can really make a difference in other people’s lives and make them a little easier.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's getting late in the day and Lisa's very tired from the fresh air and sun. She's getting ready to regress and Zachary will have his hands full.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please give me your ideas if you have them.

Chapter 3:

The 3 young people stayed in the park for a few hours longer, strolling around and talking. Well, Timmy certainly wasn’t, and Lisa found it difficult, but she tried her best. Since the day was so warm, neither of them wanted to go back to the house just yet and that was okay because they all needed a break.

Zachary had clinicals the next day, so he wanted to enjoy his day off as much as he was able to. Also, now that he had his little cousin to take care of, it complicated things quite a bit, but he didn’t mind. He actually liked a challenge, and this was certainly a big one. Zachary wasn’t sure how he would handle everything if Lisa also regressed for a while, but he knew somehow that he would be all right because he willingly took on the responsibility, but it didn’t mean it was always easy.

If Lisa wasn’t having nightmares, then Timmy was, and on and on. However, it didn’t matter to him. He loved both of them and he would not give them up for anything, or anyone else. No, right now, Zachary was most worried about his younger brother and sisters; the ones who ran away. He didn’t blame them for doing so of course, but he only hoped they were safe and alive.  
Zachary thought about them now as he pushed his girlfriend and cousin on the special swing, which they both loved. The back-and-forth motion and the squeak of the swing helped the young man to focus on his thoughts and clear his head a bit. He truly hoped that his little brother and sisters would safely come to him, especially since they were all under 18. At least, Rosie was. Zachary had been 15 when she was born, making her only 8 years old. She was old enough to understand that something was wrong, but still much too young to fully grasp or understand just how wrong they were and still are. At home, it was he who had pretty much raised her, and with a jolt, Zachary realized suddenly why Jessica and Andy took Rosie away from their mom and dad. They wanted to bring her to him so that she would be safe. “Oh my little Rosie,” Zachary thought to himself. “I’m so sorry I left you like that.”

Zachary remembered everything about his little sister. Her cute, dimpled smile, the way she crinkled her nose when she was a baby and got confused, her laugh when she wasn’t constantly crying from the fear she felt, stuff like that. And when she did feel scared, it was always Zachary or Jessica who comforted her, never their parents. So, by the time he was 15 or 16 years old, Zachary was raising his own younger siblings, one of which, was only a baby, so he felt more like a parent than a brother. It was thanks to his aunt and uncle back then that he received any help at all. If it hadn’t been for them, Zachary would’ve been an angry, lonely kid, stuck being a housewife. But none of that mattered now, because now that he was older, he cared for people because he wanted to and not because he was forced to.

Zachary was jerked out of his thoughts, though, when his young cousin waved his hands around feebly; gently brushing against the young man’s cheek. It didn’t hurt of course, but it was a bit of a surprise to feel the clumsy fingers on his face and Zachary laughed. “I think it’s almost time for dinner, you guys,” he said, chuckling. “We’ve been out here for 3 hours and I don’t know about you, but I’m starving!”

Lisa only yawned an agreement. The fresh air was good, but it really tired her out as well, so she didn’t have energy to do anything just now. Since Timmy was still regressed in his infantile state, he could do nothing but drool and wave his hands and feet clumsily. And by the looks of it, he was almost sound asleep as well.

Zachary was so used to helping Lisa with some of her everyday tasks, that it was now 2nd nature to him. There were times when she would politely remind him that she could do it on her own, but there were other things, many things, that they both understood were too dangerous for her, such as using the stove, plugging things in, and laundry, but that was just to name a few. In some cases, even walking was difficult, but Lisa was use to it, so it didn’t bother her too much. However, since she was very relaxed and tired from the fresh air from being outside, she allowed Zachary to pick her up out of the swing and set her on her feet.

Although the walk was not very long, it seemed that way because Lisa was so tired that she had to lean on Zachary for support, which always took longer. By the time the 3 of them got back to the house, Zachary had to literally feed both Lisa and his little cousin simultaneously. Lisa was clumsy at her best, but she could at least feed herself moderately well, but not when she was half asleep. When Lisa was in this particular state, her muscles were tighter and it was more difficult for her to control them the way she wanted to.

For this reason, Zachary was prepared for Lisa to regress overnight sometime. She hadn’t done so in a long time, so, naturally, Zachary figured that tonight would be the night she would. Although it would be difficult, the young man knew that his girlfriend needed this as well, and he wasn’t going to deny her what she needed. However, he also knew he had clinicals and practicums for his class the next day, so he wanted to prepare Lisa just in case she needed help. Zachary only hoped she would stay awake long enough to understand his explanations before disappearing from herself completely.

So, after helping Lisa and Timmy to eat, he first cleaned their faces and hands the way a parent would. Then, carrying his little cousin over to the playpen, the young man gently deposited him into it and gave him a few of his toy cars to play with. Even though he did not necessarily need to help Lisa out of the special chair that had been designed for her, Zachary noticed that her eyes were drooping more and more, so he gently lifted her out. Zachary knew and understood that it wasn’t something Lisa necessarily liked, but for now, for her own safety, he needed to do it in order that she wouldn’t fall and crack her head open.

“Lisa, I know that you are tired, but before you go to sleep, I need to explain something to you,” he said gently. “Tomorrow, I have clinicals and a few practicums in some of my classes, so I will be gone for a few hours. I know this is going to be difficult, but Linda is next-door and I will make sure that she or someone else can stay with you and Timmy while I am gone. I am also explaining this to you, because I know that sometime tonight, you will regress, since you haven’t done so in a while.” And as if on impulse, the young man hugged the disabled teenager close to him. “I love you, baby girl. I always will. Come on, let’s make sure that Timmy isn’t eating the paint off of those cars,” Zachary said with a smile.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zachary starts his internship at the hospital and Timmy comes back to himself. How will Zachary explain it to him?

Chapter 4:

As the young man predicted, Lisa did indeed regress sometime in the middle of the night. Zachary only knew because her brown eyes had that far away look in them and she couldn’t really focus on anything for very long. She was sound asleep, though, and she hadn’t even noticed anything different.

But unlike the 10-year-old Timmy, Lisa was still very much an adult as far as her muscles somewhat cooperating, even though her cerebral palsy made it hard for her to do so.

As for Zachary, with both his girlfriend and cousin regressed, he knew it was going to be difficult and he didn’t care one bit. They were his reason for switching his major in order to help others; his reason for being a better person. Zachary thought about that as he drove to the local hospital to begin his clinicals. As he was no stranger to coming to the hospital for Lisa’s appointments anyway, naturally, Zachary gravitated toward working with stroke victims. And today was no different.

In the therapy department in the hospital, a middle-aged woman in a wheelchair sat looking out of her window forlornly. She had had a stroke a couple of months ago, which left her with Broca’s Aphasia; a common speech disorder known as word soup because of the sometimes nonsensical words that came out of a person’s mouth without their control or knowledge.

This woman, Anna, was still in the hospital after having her stroke because of an infection she developed and her doctor wanted her to be safe and comfortable while she recovered. During her stay, Anna worked extensively with Melissa Smith, Lisa’s own speech therapist as well as Zachary himself. As an intern, Zachary could not prescribe anything for her treatment, but he could of course work with Anna extensively on reestablishing the connection between her brain and her mouth.

Although it was hard work, Anna tried very hard to do her exercises and even though she felt discouraged at times, it was always Zachary or Melissa who helped her through it. Anna really hoped that he would work with her today because something about the young man just made her want to smile more even when she didn’t feel like doing so.

Anna was so lost in thought that she nearly jumped out of her wheelchair at the sound of a knock at her door. She thought at first that one of the nurses was coming around to give out medication, but when she saw both Melissa and Zachary, her face lit up like a Christmas tree. Anna tried to speak, but all that came out of her mouth was a bunch of garbled nonsense. But when the speech therapist and intern heard it, they smiled somewhat affectionately. They knew it was difficult for her at times, but seeing her so happy to see another human being was enough to satisfy them.

“Well,” Melissa asked Zachary. “Are you nervous?”

Zachary smiled and answered. “A little, but I think I can manage. By the way, thank you so much for all your help last year. I don’t think I would’ve had the courage to change my major or get the proper help for my girlfriend and me on my own.”

Melissa Smith turned and smiled at her intern. “Zachary, you don’t ever have to thank me for that. I did it because it was the right thing to do and I can tell that being a speech therapist means a lot to you. I don’t think the light left your eyes since you started working here as an intern.”

Zachary smiled. “I know I don’t have to, but I wanted to anyway.” Then with a slight laugh, Zachary added, “I think that there is somebody else who is even happier to see us. Is there anything specific I need to do with her today?”

Melissa smiled and answered, “I think just staying consistent for now is very important,” she advised. “You may add a few new things every week, but the exercise routine in order to help her brain reconnect the right words to her mouth needs to stay the same. This is important because if you change the routine too often, it will only serve to confuse the patient, making her condition worse, not better. The other reason is because as a therapist, you want to build on what the person already knows. This helps the connections to be made faster without overwhelming the patient.”

“What about swallowing?” Zachary asked. “Don’t some people need to work on getting their muscle strength back in their throats as well?”

As though he was a student in a classroom, Melissa Smith clapped her hands and smiled. “You asked very good questions, and the answer is yes. Some people do need to do that, which is why it is important to stay consistent with every exercise you do with anyone you work with. It might be very hard work, long and tedious, but I think you already know that. I must say, you are a very smart young man, Zachary. Your compassion and willingness to understand goes a long way, especially to those who need it most.”

Back at the house, both Lisa and Timmy were very confused at first. In the back of her mind, Lisa sort of remembered what Zachary explained to her the night before, but she was so groggy now, that she was confused as to who was in the house with them, until she saw the next door neighbor, Linda.

It was already late morning and in her young mind, Lisa wanted to be held. But she was somewhat unprepared for her neighbor’s arms to lift her up and out of her crib. Lisa stiffened at first, but upon blinking her brown eyes and trying to stay focused, the familiar, heart shaped face of Linda swam into view above her.

“Lisa, it’s okay sweetie,” Linda said gently. “Zachary asked me last night to stay with you and his little cousin until he got back. Let’s get you changed, kiddo. You must be a mess.”

In the other bedroom, while Lisa was being changed, the regressed 10-year-old seemed to snap out of a long and deep sleep. Although he was in a crib, Timmy found that he could finally move his arms and legs and even sit up, something he hadn’t been able to do for over a year. He was understandably confused, though, because upon looking around the bedroom, he did not recognize anything at all.

Timmy did not lose his memory, but as a 10-year-old boy, he had never been in his cousin’s house that he could remember. Sure, he remembered Zachary playing with him and stuff, but he did not recognize the house he was in. He wanted to talk to Zachary, to ask him what it happened, but right now, he didn’t know where he was and that scared him a little. Timmy knew of course that his cousin’s next-door neighbor was in the house and could ask her, but he didn’t know if she knew he was back to normal yet. So, this was something that Zachary needed to hear.

It took a while, but Timmy finally was able to lower the railing on the crib and get out of bed. He really needed to take a shower and eat something decent since all he’d been eating was assortment of baby food and kids formula for the past year or so. “Boy,” Timmy thought to himself. “Won’t Zachary be surprised when he gets home?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a lot of action in this chapter and Timmy's in his normal mindset. Please let me know if you have any questions

Chapter 5:

Also, as it had been nearly a year since Timmy’s regression, it took the child a few moments to figure out how to work his leg muscles. When he did, Timmy was very wobbly and needed to hold onto things like the bookshelves for support. He did not remember being regressed, but he did remember that he was loved and cared for by Zachary. He also found it strange to be wearing a diaper because he didn’t remember ever needing to wear one.

Understandable of course, but it was definitely necessary, especially since he didn’t remember anything else. Still a little confused, Timmy worked his arms and legs as best he could in order to get the kinks out of them. He hoped that his cousin would be home soon to explain what it happened to him, but since he wasn’t, Timmy was a little afraid. Yet, he knew somehow that he was not alone in the house. He could hear a young woman with a definite speech impairment talking to someone else, but that was it.

Once the almost 11-year-old got his balance back, he rummaged around in the closet to look for some decent clothes, since all he was wearing was a pair of foodie pajamas. Cute as they were, the almost 11-year-old boy could not stand the heat right now. He also hoped that Zachary hadn’t forgotten to buy him normal clothes, because all he could find were Elmo T-shirts and care bear shorts. Timmy was understandably confused as he looked at the selection of clothing and he genuinely hoped someone would explain it to him later. However, after digging through the closet, the little boy finally found a pair of blue jeans, a baseball T-shirt, along with a pair of socks and tennis shoes. Dragging all of this into the bathroom with him, the almost 11-year-old got ready for the day as best he could.

Meanwhile, Linda was in the kitchen with Lisa, who had regressed in her mind to a 2-year-old. She had no speech during this time, but she babbled incoherently, which was very endearing to hear. She had already been fed her breakfast and was now playing on a mat with some soft blocks. Lisa tried and failed to build a tower with them, but it never discouraged her whenever they fell over. It only made her work that much harder to succeed in building her tower. A couple of times Lisa chewed on the blocks, but after discovering just how yucky they tasted, she didn’t do that again.

Lisa was pretty content for the next 5 minutes. Every time her soft tower fell on top of her, she giggled as though it was the funniest thing in the entire world. Which, to her young mindset, it probably was. But when a shadow appeared on the stairway, Lisa suddenly went crazy! In her young mindset, Lisa did not recognize Zachary’s cousin for who he was. And since he looked a little bit like the young man, Lisa, in her young mind, instantly thought of the worst case scenario and began to cry, loud, sloppy tears. She was barely aware that Linda was bodily lifting her in order to calm her down.

The regressed 19-year-old clung to her next-door neighbor; trembling in fear. “Lisa, Lisa, sweetheart,” came Linda’s voice. “It’s okay; you’re okay. It’s just Zachary’s cousin. He won’t hurt you. It’s okay baby, it’s okay.”

Lisa continued to cry as the older woman patted her back in order to calm her, and although her sobs were beginning to subside, it didn’t mean she felt entirely safe just yet. Lisa couldn’t really explain why she freaked out just now, but she hoped that by later tonight, things would become clear for everyone.

As for Timmy, he looked and felt just as confused. Although he knew Lisa, his normal self did not. He himself had been an extremely regressed state of mind when he knew her, so, it was doubly difficult for him. He wanted answers, but he didn’t really know how to ask the questions that were on his mind. His own eyes moistened the tiniest bit when he heard the terrified screaming and he even felt a little bit guilty for causing the teenager’s distress.

As though she had read the almost 11-year-old’s mind, Linda beckoned him over. “Timmy,” she said gently. “I’m sorry for the confusion. Zachary has clinicals today and I am staying with you and Lisa until he comes back. I know you don’t really remember me, but I am Linda, your next-door neighbor. If you are hungry, there is some oatmeal and applesauce. I know it might not be much, but Zachary wasn’t sure when you would come back to yourself. I know you must have a lot of questions, and I don’t blame you. However, I am not sure if I am the right person to explain or answer them.”

As that was going on in the house, Zachary was sitting with Anna in her hospital room. Melissa went to finish some paperwork in her office for the time being, so Zachary did the exercises with Anna. However, because he was still an intern, Zachary could not prescribe anything or order tests. He normally worked in the office with Anna, but today she seemed very wiped out, which was why he came to her hospital room instead.

Zachary new to some extent that some of the exercises he was doing with her were extremely elementary, but very important for reestablishing the connections she previously lost. Today, Zachary observed and took notes as Anna recited. “A, B, C, 1, 2, 3, I had… A dog.” Over and over she repeated this. Although it was making more sense, the words coming out of her mouth, they still weren’t very connected to what she was trying to say. The reason for the alphabet and counting tests was simple. Both Melissa and Zachary realized that after she had her stroke, Anna basically lost the ability to recognize letters or numbers as well as the ability to speak properly. They knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but they wanted her to be understood.

The goal wasn’t really to fix anyone, but simply to get others to understand that language, no matter how vital, was often the most difficult thing to get back once a person lost it. And in Zachary’s case, it was something personal to him because the person he cared for dealt with some of the same issues, although hers were not by choice and they weren’t stolen from her.

Zachary seemed to zone out a bit as the hospital patient struggled on reciting what she could remember. What brought him back to reality were the few tears glistening in the woman’s eyes. He knew these tests were hard for her, but they were necessary. “Oh, Anna,” Zachary said gently. “Just one more test, and we will be done.” Zachary placed a laminated sheet of paper with the alphabet and number system on the tray in front of Anna. “Can you point to the letter I for me?”

With a trembling finger, the middle-aged woman managed to do what he asked.

Zachary smiled. “Very good!” He praised. “Now, can you tell me what number it would be in the alphabet?”

It was difficult, but Anna managed to stutter out, “N-n-nine!”

Zachary smiled, but it was nothing compared to how he felt inside. He was genuinely proud of the progress Anna had made even though he knew that she had a long way to go yet. “Very good, Anna,” Zachary told her with a smile. “You are making very good progress even though I know it’s hard for you at times. I want you to keep working on this exercise for the remainder of this week, okay? You and I will meet next week so that I can check your progress and help you with whatever you need. Right now though, you look exhausted. I suggest you get some rest and you can keep working on that.” With a smile that never left his face, the young man exited the hospital room to take his lunch break. But always, at the back of his mind, his worries about his girlfriend and cousin lingered. What would he find when he came home later that afternoon?


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zach's in clinnicals and Lisa goes nuts. Timmy is now big. What will happen now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry it took me so long! I hope you all enjoy this and plwease comment; I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Chapter 6:

Back at the house, chaos reigned as Lisa continued to scream and cry. “Ahhh…” Lisa screamed. “Ahhh, Ahhh!” Lisa was very frightened and Linda was doing her best to calm her down.

The almost 11-year-old Timmy Franklin, who was now in his normal mind, was still genuinely confused. He didn’t know where his cousin was, but he hoped that he would come home soon. He was sitting at the breakfast table eating some oatmeal and doing his best to block out the teenager’s screams. Somewhere deep in his mind, Timmy knew that she couldn’t really help it, but it was grating on his nerves right now because he was still very tired and weak from being trapped in his own regression for so long.

Linda seemed to have the same idea, because out of the corner of his eye, Timmy could see the older woman reaching for the phone. But as it turned out, before she could even start dialing, the phone rang in her hand. Recognizing Zachary’s cell phone number, Linda answered it. “Hi, Zachary,” Linda said wearily. “How is everything going with you today?”

On the other end of the line, Zachary grinned from ear to ear as he described his clinicals so far. “Everything is great!” He said excitedly. “I really think I can make a difference with this major! Anyway, it’s my lunch break, so I thought I would call and check in. How are Lisa and Timmy doing?” But then Zachary’s heart flew into his throat when he heard how desperately the 19-year-old was screaming. “Linda, is everything okay? Is Lisa okay? Do you need me to come home?”

Linda sighed heavily as she answered. “Zach, no, I don’t think you need to come home. Lisa is just having a bad day.”

“Linda, is Lisa regressed?”

“Yes, she is,” Linda’s muffled voice replied over the young man’s phone. “But, your cousin seems to be out of his self induced coma because he is very confused this is the main reason that Lisa went nuts. She doesn’t really know that your cousin is big now,” Linda explained. “Maybe you should come home after all.”

Zachary heaved a heavy sigh as he dumped his half eaten food into the garbage can in the staff cafeteria. “All right, I’ll be right there,” he said gently. “I need to let people know that I have to leave early today.”

Once again, Zachary felt as though he was running around like a chicken with his head cut off as he dashed around trying to find his supervisor and collect his things at the same time. It took him about 15 minutes or so, but when he finally found Melissa Smith to let her know what was going on, she already seemed to know the situation, because all she said was, “take care of them both. Your cousin needs you right now; go!” And that was that. Zachary didn’t even expect the supervising therapist to gently shove him out of her office or for her to have his small pile of his own assignments waiting for him. “Just get these back to me whenever you have time,” Melissa said gently. “I understand that these particular situations are ones that you take very seriously, which is why I am allowing you to leave early. I know you appreciate each situation for what it is.”  
The last 10 minutes of leaving his clinicals were a blur to Zachary. All he could think about right now was if his makeshift family was all right. Zachary also wondered why Lisa was screaming. She knew his cousin and she shouldn’t have to be afraid of him. But after about 5 minutes of driving, the realization suddenly hit him. “Lisa knew Timmy, but not his normal self,” Zachary realized. “Oh, Lisa must be so frightened right now! And I need to explain a few things to Timmy.”

As Zachary was driving, Timmy was just finishing up his oatmeal and putting his bowl in the sink. He didn’t know what to say or do, but after being trapped in infancy for almost a year, Timmy was finding it difficult to walk around. And on top of that, he had a little bit of oatmeal smeared across his upper lip without him realizing it. He also didn’t realize that he was wet, only because he’d been stuck in diapers for a long time. He really hoped he’d be allowed to take it off and clean up before his cousin got home. He didn’t know why, but he felt rather embarrassed, especially since he couldn’t remember what had happened to him.

Noticing the young boy’s confusion, Linda suggested exactly what he was thinking, but she let him know that if he needed help, she was there. Thanking her as best he could, Timmy leaned heavily on the railing as he went upstairs to get out of the soaked diaper and take a much-needed shower.

As the warm water cascaded down the almost 11-year-old’s body, his muscles started to relax and his mind cleared. However, his memories were very shoddy and fuzzy. Timmy had no recollection of having a headspace, but he had the vague sense that something horrific must’ve happened and that he was now rescued. He wondered where his aunt and uncle were since he was in his cousin’s house. “Could that be my aunt screaming like that?” Timmy thought as he rubbed in the shampoo.

Just after the young boy stepped out of the shower and was drying off, Zachary’s car pulled into the garage, which meant that he was finally home. The 11-year-old could hear the young man’s voice as he greeted their next-door neighbor. But not wishing to pry, Timmy walked slowly to his room to finish getting dressed.

Downstairs in the living room, Zachary was once again swaddling the disabled adult the way he had done what seemed like a long time ago. Linda was collecting her things and preparing to go home, but not before giving the young man a sympathetic smile.

“Thanks for watching them, Linda,” Zachary said sincerely. “I really mean it.”

The older woman smiled. “Zachary, it is not a problem at all,” Linda told him gently. “I know it has been hard for you lately and I hope that things start to get better for you. I am here whenever you need me. Okay?”

After she left, Zachary gently held his swaddled and now regressed girlfriend in his arms. Sitting in the rocker recliner, the young man gently rocked back and forth in order to calm her down faster. Zachary didn’t exactly know or understand how or why Timmy set her off so, but he knew that he needed to explain things to both of them. But right now, he thought it would be best to let Timmy adjust to being in his normal mind for a while before doing such a thing. And as for Lisa, Zachary knew and understood that she was regressed right now because she truly needed it. Judging by her need to be held and swaddled, told Zachary that her regression deepened as the day wore on.

“Oh, my baby girl,” Zachary whispered gently in Lisa’s ear. “It’s okay baby girl, it’s okay. I’m here now, little one, yeah… I’m here… I’m here…” Then without thinking, the young man placed a gentle kiss on the top of Lisa’s dark hair. Knowing that she just needed to be cuddled, Zachary kept gently rocking and stroking her dark hair lovingly as well as softly talking to her. “Oh my baby girl,” he said quietly. “You are so sweet. Yeah…”

To Zachary’s surprise, his gentle and soothing words as well as the gentle rocking motion made the disabled adult’s muscles relax and without realizing she was doing so, Lisa started to babble a bit. Although Zachary could not understand what she was saying, he found her sounds endearing and hugged her closer.


End file.
